Floating mounting for a laminating roll



Feb. 16, 1960 T. JENSEN FLOATING MOUNTING FOR A LAMINATING ROLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 7, 1957 INVENTOR THORMOD JENSEN b mo 8 ATTYS,

Feb. 16, 1960 'r. JENSEN FLOATING MOUNTING FOR A LAMINATING ROLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct 7, 1957 III I I III/II INVENTOR Tuoanoo Jmsrm PM i W n-km Arm-vs,

FLOATING MOUNTIIEIELEOR A LAMINATING Thormod Jensen, New York, N.Y., assign'or to St. Regis This invention relates to improvements in a device for laminating, as a continuous operation, a fibrous web, such as a paper web, carrying a heat-sensitive adhesive, with a cellophane web, at the zone where the cellophane web is stripped from a supply roll thereof.

In copending application for Letters Patent filed Octoher 1, 1956, Serial No. 6l3,202, a device is shown and described for adhesively uniting or laminating a fibrous web, carrying a heat-sensitive adhesive with a cellophane web as the latter is drawn from a supply roll of cellophane, the invention being directed to the expedient of cooling the zone at which lamination takes place to prevent blocking of the outer layers of the cellophane in the roll.

The present invention is directed to the same general laminating operation and the cooling expedient described in said patent application'may or may not be employed, desired.

In laminating or adhesively uniting a continuously passing fibrous web to a cellophane web where a roll of cellophane from which the cellophane web is continuously drawn functions as the bed roll against which the pressure of the laminating roll is exerted, it is important to have the laminating roll extert uniform pressure along the line of osculation upon the cellophane roll. In many instances, the cellophane roll is irregular in its outer surface contour, having high points or hills and low points or having a high end and a low .end. Hence, difiiculty is frequently encountered in having the laminating roll exert uniform pressure throughout the area of lamination of the two webs.

The present invention is directed to a novel and unique mounting for the laminating roll which permits the laminating roll surface to follow the irregularities of the celophane roll surface and thus a more uniform lamination of the two webs is obtained.

The objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and following detailed description.

.In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the laminating device embodying the concepts of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows 2-2 on Fig. 1. T i

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 indicates a shaft or mandrel upon which a roll 2 of fibrous material in f when a web 5 is drawn therefrom.

Above roll 2 a pair of spaced parallel rods 6 are disposed, said rods being stationary and comprising a "portion of the frame of the machine, the structural parts of which are not shown. A plate 7 is secured to each rod 6 by. means of U-bolts 8 whereby the plates States Patent 2,925,118 Patented Feb. 16, 1960 ice may depend from opposite rods and maybe moved along the lengths of the rods by loosening nuts 9 or may be fixed at desired positions along said rods by tightening the nuts.

At the lower end portion of each plate 7 the opposite end portions of a rod or shaft 10 are secured, the shaft 10 functioning as a spacer between said plates to maintain them in substantially vertical parallel relationship. A pair of spaced arms 11 are supported upon shaft 10 in a manner which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The fibrous web 5 drawn from the roll is trained around a guide roll 12 which is mounted upon shaft 13, the latter, in turn, being supported in open slots 14 provided in the opposite arms 11. One surface of the web 5 is coated with a heat-sensitive coating whereby, by the application of heat to the web, the web is conditioned to be adhesively united or laminated with a cellophane web as will be hereinafter described.

Each of the arms 11, at their corresponding ends are L-shaped, as shown best at 15 in Fig. 1 and between the end portions of the L-shaped members a heating I shoe 16 is carried. The shoe 16 may be of conven- -23 at the laminating zone.

tional construction, having a semicylindrical surface 17 and carrying one or more electrical heating units 18 adjacent said surface. Suitable electric wiring (not shown) may connect the heating units to a source of electric power and said heating unit or units may be controlled by a conventional thermostat 19 which may be adjustable in response by a control knob 20.

The shoe 16 extends entirely between the L-shaped arms 15, and web S'after passing over guide roll 12 is passed over the cylindrical surface 17 of the shoe. The shoe thus imparts heat to the web 5 and the coating thereon is rendered plastic and adhesive. When the web 5 passes over the shoe 16, the coated side thereof is disposed outwardly with respect to surface 17.

The shoe 16 may take a number of forms all of which are contemplated in the present invention. The shoe may be of the conventional kind where the entire surface 17 from one arm 11 to the opposite arm, is heated uniformly or, if desired, the shoe may be of the type wherein the surface 17 is divided into separate parts, some of which are heated and some of which are unheated whereby only predetermined areas of the coating on the Web are rendered adhesive.

A laminating roll 21 is carried upon a shaft 22 which is supported at its end portions upon opposite arms 11, said shaft being disposed adjacent the angle juncture of the component legs of the L-shaped arms. The web 5 after passing over the shoe 16 is trained around a portion of the surface of the laminating roll and is passed between the surface of the laminating roll 21 and the surface of a supply roll of cellophane 23, the cellophane also being in web form Hence, by the pressure of laminating roll 21 upon the heated web 5, said web is adhesively united to the outer layer of the cellophane and a composite or laminated web 24 is produced, the laminated web comprising web 5 and cellophane web The laminated web 24 after leaving the zone of lamination beneath laminating roll 21 is trained over guide roll 29 and subsequently passed to a zone of further treatment, conversion or use. 7

The construction of the device comprising the present invention is such that arms 11 are pivoted intermediate their lengths and thearms are so balanced that the laminating roll rests by gravity and exerts a predetermined pressure, upon the surface of the cellophane roll it is the optimum condition that the surface of laminating roll 21 exert uniform pressure upon the cellophane roll 23 at the line of osculation of said rolls. Howeventhis ideal condition a? is seldom met with in practice since the surface of the cellophane roll is seldom uniformly straight or smooth transversely of the web. Hence, as the rolls revolve the line of osculation of the rolls is frequently non-continuous and portions of the opposed areas of the web 5 and web 25 are not brought into laminating pressure contact.

In addition, inasmuch as the roll 21 rests by gravity upon the cellophane roll 23, any lumps, hills or upwardly' extending irregularities upon the surface of the cellophane roll, tend to cause the laminating roll to bounce away from the cellophane roll, in which case opposed areas entirely across the webs 5 and 25 are not subjected to laminating pressure.

In view of the fact that the web 5 may be a waxed or semitransparent or translucent paper, those areas of the laminated web 24 Where imperfect lamination occurs may appear frosted -or opaque or at least noticeably different in appearance from the properly laminated areas. Further, improperly laminated areas are potential seats of delamination which is obviously undesirable.

An important aspect of the present invention resides in mounting the roll 21 and its supporting structure in such fashion as to minimize and substantially eliminate the undesirable non-uniform riding of the laminating roll upon the cellophane roll.

As has been hereinbefore indicated, but not described in detail, the arms 11 are pivoted intermediate their lengths and the pivoted structure is so balanced as to cause roll 21 to exert pressure upon cellophane roll 23 at the laminating zone. Referring particularly to Figs. 2 ar1=d 3 the pivotal mounting referred to is shown.

Shaft 10, as has been hereinbefore described, is carried by-the depending plates 7. Arms 11, intermediate their lengths, are provided with transverse slots 30 through which shaft extends. Thus, the arms 11 have a degree of freedom to move vertically relative to shaft 10. A plate 31 is secured to the inner face of each arm 11 adjacentshaft 10, each of said plates being provided with an open slot 32 through which the opposite end portions of shaft 10 .extend. Opposite plates 31 support spaced transverse bars 33 which are disposed parallel to shaft 10, one on each lateral side thereof. A pivot pin 34 is rigidly secured at its opposite ends in the spaced bars 33 and said pin extends transversely across the space between said bars adjacent their central portions. A pair of collars 35 are carried upon shaft 10 in spaced relationship to each other, and pin 34 extends loosely between said collars.

Thus, bars 33 are pivotally supported by means of pin 34 upon shaft 10 and inasmuch as said bars are rigidly mounted upon arms 11, said arms are also pivotally supported by pin 34 upon shaft 10. Arms 11 may thereby rock upwardly and downwardly relative to each other about pin 34 as a fulcrum and, hence, roll 21, carried by said arms may rock about an axis transverse to the axis of shaft 22 upon which roll 21 is mounted. Hence, by the rockable relationship of arms 11 about pin 34, roll Zl-Will tend to more closely follow the of the movement of the roll-carrying frame about pin 34 as an axis is much less than the inertia and movement against gravity of the roll-carrying frame about shaft 10 as an axis. Hence, when a local high point or hill .is encounteredbn roll 23, roll 21, instead of bouncing off of roll 23, will merely be caused to rock with the roll-carrying frame about pin 34.

Ball bearing assemblies 3'7 may be mounted upon shaft '19, the inner, races 38 of the assemblies being .carried by the shaft and the outer races 39 of the assemblies making tangential contact with the inner faces of bars 33. Thus, movementof the arms 11 lengthwise is inhibited and "friction between 'bars 33 and shaft 10 7 is substantially eliminated as arms 11 rock about pin The strap 3, at its upper end, may be conveniently secured to an end portion of the roll-carrying frame comprising arms 11, and the weight 4, in addition to tensioning the strap to damp the movement of roll 2, may also function as a counterweight for the roll-carrying frame whereby the normal pressure of the laminating roll upon the cellophane roll may be controlled.

Conveniently, a switch box 40 may be carried upon one of the depending plates 7, said box carrying a conventional electric switch which may be connected in circuit with the heated shoe 16, said switch being controlled by switch knob 41. A signal light 42 may also be carried by the box 40 to indicate the fact that the shoe 16 is connected or disconnected from the electric power source.

Although the present invention has been shown and described as a device for laminating a paper web to a cellophane web using the roll 23 of cellophane as the bed or anvil roll, it is to be understood that Webs of substantially any type may be laminated where the bed or anvil roll comprises the supply roll of one of the webs.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. A machine for laminating two webs as a continuous operation wherein a base web is drawn from a supply roll and wherein an adhesive-coated Web is passed into surface contact with the base web and wherein said supply roll is employed as the bed roll upon which laminating pressure isexerted upon said base web and said adhesivecoated web at the zone of withdrawal 'of the base web from the roll, said machine comprising a supporting structure, a shaft carried by said supporting structure, said shaft being substantially parallel to the axis of said supply roll, a roll-carrying rockable frame swingable about said shaft'as an axis, a laminatingroll carried by said frame for exerting osculating pressure upon said supply roll, a pivot element carried by said roll-carrying rockable frame, said pivot element being fulcrumed on said shaft intermediate its length to permit rockable movement of said frame transversely to said shaft, a heating element having an arcuate surface over which said adhesive coated web travels to heat said web, said heating element being carried by said rockable frame and being rockable therewith and 'With its surface disposed substantially parallel to the surface of the laminating roll, said heated adhesive web being passed between the laminating roll and the supply roll surfaceadjacent the zoneof withdrawal of the base web from the supply roll to laminate said adhesive coated web with the base web.

2. A machine for laminating two webs as a continuous operation wherein a'base web is drawn from a Supply roll and wherein an adhesive-coated web is passed into surface contact with the base web and wherein said supply roll is employed as the bed roll upon which laminating pressure is exerted upon said base web and said adhesive coated web at the zoneof withdrawal 'of the base webfrom the roll, said machine comprising a supporting structure, a shaft carried by said supporting structure, said shaft being substantially parallel to the axis of said supply roll, a roll-carrying rockable frame loosely'swingably mounted upon said shaft and having limited movement transversely to said-shaft, a laminating roll carried by said frame for exerting oscillating pressure upon said supply roll, a pivot element carried by said roll-carrying frame, 'said pivot element being fulcrumed on said shaft intermediate its length to permit rockable movement of said frame transversely .to said shaft, and means forpassingan adhesivecoated web between the laminating roll and-the supply roll surface adjacent the'zone'of withdrawal of'the bas'eweb from the supply roll to laminate said adhesive coated web with the base web, said means including 'a-"heating shoe having an 'arcuate face'over which said web passes and is heated, said shoe being carried by said rockable frame and being rockable therewith and having its arcuate surface parallel to said.

laminating roll surface.

3. A machine for laminating two Webs as a continuous operation wherein a base web is drawn from a supply roll and wherein an adhesive-coated web is passed into surface contact with the base web and wherein said supply roll is employed as the bed roll upon which laminating pressure is exerted upon said base web and said adhesive-coated web at the zone of withdrawal of the base web from the roll, said machine comprising a supporting structure, a shaft carried by said supporting structure, said shaft being substantially parallel to the axis of said supply roll, a roll-carrying rockable frame loosely swingably mounted upon said shaft and having limited movement transversely to said shaft, a laminating roll carried by said frame and being urged by gravity toward said supply roll for exerting osculating pressure upon said supply roll, a pivot element carried by said roll-carrying frame, said pivot element being fulcrumed on said shaft intermediate its length to permit rockable movement of said frame transversely to said shaft, and means for passing an adhesive coated web between the laminating roll and the supply roll surface adjacent the zone of withdrawal of the base Web from the supply roll to laminate said adhesive coated web with the base web, said means including a heating shoe having an arcuate face over which said web passes and is heated, said shoe being carried by said rockable frame and being rockable therewith and having its arcuate surface parallel to said laminating roll surface, and a guide roll carried by said rockable frame and being rockable therewith, the axis of said guide roll being substantially parallel to the axis of said laminating roll.

4. A machine for laminating two webs as a continuous operation wherein a base web is drawn from a supply roll and wherein an adhesive-coated web is passed into surface contact with the base web and wherein said supply roll is employed as the bed roll upon which laminating pressure is exerted upon said base web and said adhesive-coated web at the zone of Withdrawal of the base web from the roll, said machine comprising a supporting structure, a shaft carried by said supporting structure, said shaft being substantially parallel to the axis of said supply roll, a roll-carrying rockable frame rockably mounted upon said shaft in two coordinate directions, a guide roll carried upon said rockable frame with its axis disposed transverse to said frame, a heating element having an arcuate surface carried upon said rockable frame with said surface disposed. substantially parallel to said guide roll and over which said web is guided and heated, a laminating roll carried by said frame for exerting osculating pressure upon said supply roll, said heated adhesive web being passed between said laminating roll and said supply roll to laminate the base web and the adhesive coated web, the axis of the guide roll, heating element and laminating roll being substantially parallel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,189,611 Morse July 4, 1916 2,330,923 Robbins Oct. 5, 1943 2,721,650 Cummings et al. Oct. 25, 1955 2,790,480 Lithio Apr. 30, 1957 

